Walks of Life
by YinYangWriter
Summary: A group of stories featuring characters from the show and card game as well as OCs. Rated T for safety. Additional chapters in the works.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own **_**Chaotic**_**. These stories feature characters from the television show and card game as well as OCs. I hope you like them. Please review at the end of each story/chapter.**

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><p>It was late in the night. Crown Prince Iflar was settling in bed for a few hours of sleep. Talks with the OverWorld embassador were not going smoothly. There were many arguments and several fights had broken out. Iflar, dignified as always, would not allow things to go sour. True, the M'arrillians were gone and the Tribal Alliance was no longer needed, but it would be wise to keep the OverWorlders as their allies.<p>

Iflar was barely asleep when he heard something outside his window. He got up and looked and found nothing. He turned to go back to bed. Iflar glanced at the Mipedian mugic on a shelf.

There was a commotion in the hall. The guards were rushing about. Iflar grabbed a sword from his bedside, the mugic from the shelf, and rushed for the door to see what he could do to help.

"Sir, it's Khybon and Jiggorex!" said a Mipedian soldier. "It seems they used a flux bauble to get in."

Iflar ran to where the intruders were. Iflar let the mugic float from his hand and was about to activate it. Khybon saw and attacked him. A Mipedian soldier threw himself in front of the attack and the soldier and Iflar went flying. Jiggorex grabbed the fallen mugic.

"I have it!" the UnderWorlder called. "Let's go!"

Khybon made a break for Jiggorex.

"Stop them!" shouted Prince Mudeenu, who had just joined the scene.

Amongst the chaos, no one took notice to a small dark form weaving between attacks and Creatures. The only one to notice at all was Jiggorex when the form smacked into him. Jiggorex easily sent the form flying across the room.

Khybon and Jiggorex activated the flux bauble and were gone.

Iflar growled in frustration. That mugic was priceless to him. And to have it stolen from right under his nose, too. What a disgrace!

After the soldiers were sent on a search of the Oasis to see if Jiggorex and Khybon happened to still be on Mipedian soil, Iflar went back to his bedchamber. He wasn't sure how he was going to sleep now.

Iflar heard something. He tested the air and turned. On the shelf, right where he kept it, was the mugic Khybon and Jiggorex had taken from him.

Something moved in a shadowy corner of the room. Iflar pounced, but the shadow was too fast. The shadow got out of the way, but nothing more. It went head over heels, coming to rest on its back, scooting away from Iflar as fast as it possibly could. Iflar grabbed what he thought to be an ankle and gave a hard yank. There was a small cry of fear and pain as the shadow was pulled into the light.

It was a human boy! Iflar stared at the human with bewilderment. He appeared to have been born of the Mipedim Desert itself. His skin was the color of wet sand, his hair the color of the dry sand that blew in the wind. His eyes, blue as the afternoon sky, were innocent and wide with fear. His frame was thin, but like the delicate-looking plants of the desert, he was hardy. The arid air dried his hair and skin, his lips cracked. His clothes were dirty and torn. He was sporting a gash on his shoulder that was covered with dried blood.

Iflar looked from the human boy to the mugic on its place on the shelf.

"Was this your doing?" asked Iflar.

The human nodded.

"How?" asked Iflar. "You were not anywhere near them, so how did you get the mugic back?"

The human touched the gash on his arm.

Iflar studied the wound. "Or maybe you were close enough," said the Creature.

The human nodded again.

"You stole it back from Jiggorex?" asked Iflar.

The human nodded again, this time with a little more enthusiasm.

"You must be quite a Stalker to get it back with just a small wound," said Iflar. "It would have been more impressive if you would not have been injured at all. Still, it is impressive that a human stole from a Creature from right under his nose."

The human smiled, his eyes losing their fear. Still holding his shoulder, the human boy got to his feet.

Iflar stood as well. "What is your name, human?" he asked.

The human hung his head.

Iflar frowned. "Speak up, boy," he said. "You have a name, don't you?"

The human opened his mouth to speak. "Not one I like," he answered. His voice was soft as a sigh.

"What is it?" asked Iflar.

"Cockroach," the human replied. "Not a good name, even for a street kid."

"Ah," said Iflar. "We shall have to amend that. What if I give you a name you can go by here in Perim? Would you like that?"

The human nodded. "Yes, very much."

Iflar thought for a moment. He didn't want the name to sound like a Creature's, but he was not sure of any human names.

"What about Teagan?" asked Iflar. "Do you like that name?"

The human nodded.

"I do not know any human names," said Iflar. "I hope that is acceptable."

"Teagan's a human name," said the human.

"Teagan you are," said Iflar. "Now, to other matters. Let me tend to your shoulder."

Teagan shook his head. "It'll close up once I return to Earth."

"Then you best return to Earth," said Iflar.

Teagan took out his scanner and ported away.

It was not long before Iflar saw the boy again. It was night again and he was getting ready to go to bed. There was a soft noise from the window. Iflar looked over and saw Teagan crouched the windowsill.

"What are you doing here?" asked Iflar.

"Thought I would stop by," said Teagan, climbing into the room. "I was wondering what was going on."

"Nothing that concerns you," said Iflar.

"Rumor has it that you are trying to find information about Von Bloot," said Teagan. "Why, I do not know."

"Who told you this?" demanded Iflar.

"Like I said, it's a rumor," said Teagan.

Iflar hissed. "Von Bloot served the M'arrillians. It is unknown what happened to him after their fall. I cannot send Stalkers into the UnderWorld without good reason."

"I can go," said Teagan. "Send me."

"You? A human?" asked Iflar. He thought for a moment. It would be ideal. A human could run at anytime. A human was faster. This could be done quickly. "All right."

Teagan nodded and he was off.

An hour later, Teagan returned. He sat at the foot of the bed and waited for Iflar to wake. Iflar nearly attacked Teagan when he woke.

"Von Bloot is not at Gothos Tower," said Teagan. "I checked M'arrillian territory as much as I dared, but there was no sign of him. If I may ask, what is so important that Von Bloot must be located?"

"I do not want to be surprised if the M'arrillian's find a way to escape the Deep Mines again," said Iflar. "We cannot have another war."

"Aa'une is gone, is he not?" asked Teagan.

Iflar did not answer. "You may go, Teagan."

Teagan nodded and ported out.

This was not Teagan's only errand. He was sent as a messenger to the OverWorld and other places in Mipedian territory. He came and went without a sound and no one saw him. Some were surprised to find messages and packages. Eventually, a system was worked out. A Creature who needed something important delivered quickly would send a message to Crown Prince Iflar and tie a brilliant green cloth to a pole or drapery rod in an open window and place their package next to the window. Later, the package would disappear and a small moonstone would be placed where the package was. The package always made it to its destination, a moonstone with it. The Mipedians began to call this secret messenger Crown Prince Iflar's Moonstone Messenger or Moonstone Messenger for short. No one knew what he looked like, but whoever it was was a great Stalker. They all thought it was one of them, but it was really Teagan who was doing the messaging. Iflar was the only one who knew.

Teagan was greatly rewarded for his service. Iflar would hang a green cloth at his bedroom window and Teagan would come for his errand. He would return when he was finished. Each time he did, there was a plate of fine food for him. He would be allowed to sleep in the Crown Prince's chamber if he wanted to, which he usually declined unless he was too tired.

Iflar was to go to Kiru City. It was not something that the Council wanted him to do, but the circumstances were too delicate not to go. Teagan was informed and was to go to Kiru City as well and wait for instructions after he was finished with his latest assignment.

Teagan, after completing his assignment, waited at night in Kiru City. Iflar was already at Maxxor's castle and he would be staying there. Teagan sat on a roof near the castle and looked for any sign from Iflar that he was summoned.

Iflar was in the meeting hall with Maxxor, Intress, Najarin, Prince Mudeenu, Sobtjek, and Siado.

"We must locate the remaining M'arrillians and find Von Bloot," said Mudeenu.

"My source says that he is not at Gothos Tower," said Iflar.

"Your source?" asked Intress.

"Ah, yes," sneered Mudeenu. "The ever mysterious Moonstone Messenger. Are we ever going to meet your messenger, cousin?"

Iflar smirked at his cousin. "Perhaps," he said slyly. "Maybe even tonight."

"Moonstone Messenger?" asked Maxxor.

Iflar rose from his seat, picked up his plate of food that he barely touched, and took a green handkerchief from his pocket. He opened the window and tied it to the window latch. He placed the plate on the windowsill. Iflar sat back down.

"It is rumored that Von Bloot is in possession of a map," said Sobtjek. "One that has all the secret tunnels leading from the OverWorld to the UnderWorld."

"A page from the Book of Torqmo," said Najarin with a sigh.

"The Book of Torqmo?" asked Sobtjek. "It's only a myth."

Najarin shook his head. "It is very real."

"The Book of Torqmo?" asked Maxxor. "What is it?"

"A book that holds all the secrets of Perim," said Najarin. "Including clues to the Cothica."

Mudeenu perked his ears up at the sound of that. "Really?" he asked.

"The book was deemed to be too dangerous to reside in the hands of one Creature," said Najarin.

"What happened to it?" asked Siado.

"It was torn apart, the pages sent to different tribes," said Najarin.

"How do you know this?" asked Intress.

"Because I tore apart the book myself," said Najarin. "It was too dangerous, even for me."

"So if Von Bloot has the map, he can attack anywhere?" asked Iflar.

"But it's been solans since the map was created," argued Sobtjek. "Some of those tunnels are caved in and flooded."

"But some are still there," said Najarin.

"If we can locate Von Bloot, we can take the map from him," said Maxxor.

"I can do it," said Siado.

Iflar looked at the window. "When you're finished, Teagan, come inside," he called. "I have a job for you."

Mudeenu turned. "He's out there? Right now?" He stood up and began to walk to the window.

"Leave him be," said Iflar. "You'll see him soon enough."

"But we have to locate Von Bloot first," said Mudeenu, returning to his chair. "That will be a problem."

"Teagan," called Iflar. "Have you located Von Bloot?"

"The last I saw of him, he was at Jade Pillar," came a voice from outside. "That was before I came here."

"There, now we know," said Iflar.

"He might not be there now," said Maxxor. "How long did it take Teagan to get here from there?"

Iflar smirked. He turned to the window with everyone else. Teagan swung in through the window, a cleaned plate in his hand. "Not long," answered Iflar.

"Teagan is a human?" cried Mudeenu. He turned to Iflar. "A human has been your errand boy?"

"And an excellent one as well," said Iflar. "Who do you think returned my mugic when Khybon and Jiggorex tried to take it?"

"Tried?" parroted Mudeenu.

"Teagan here managed to get it back without their knowledge," said Iflar. "He had a wound for his troubles, but he still returned it." Iflar turned to Teagan. "How much have you heard?"

"Most of it," said Teagan. "You want the map, right?"

"That's right," said Iflar. "It will not be easy, Teagan."

"I figured that when you fed me before sending me off," said Teagan.

"Go," said Iflar.

Teagan ported to Jade Pillar.

Von Bloot was there with a few of his renegades. They were poring over a map, planning an attack.

"If we take this tunnel here, it will lead straight into Kiru City," said Von Bloot. "We will take the OverWorld capital and then the rest of the OverWorld."

Teagan looked for an opportunity to strike. This wasn't like swiping some cupcakes from a convenient store. This was like stealing the royal jewels. He had to do this for Iflar. Von Bloot was bad news and him having this map would only bring worse things for Perim. He had to get that map.

Teagan took a hiding place near where the renegades set up shop. He would have to move quickly. He picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could. It pelted off some battle gear and they all turned their attention to the sound. Teagan quickly crept forward and hid under the table.

Von Bloot turned back to the map and started talking about attacking Kiru City again. Teagan began tying laces of boots together and tickling the backs of legs. This caused some bickering between renegades. They would yell at each other, occasionally punching their assumed tickler. It was a bit comical how easily these Creatures could be upset.

"Will you all fall in?" shouted Von Bloot.

Teagan reached up and snatched the map from the table. A Creature cried out and saw Teagan. Teagan whipped out his scanner and was gone.

Teagan sat outside Maxxor's castle, the map in his hands. It showed Perim in its entirety. It was amazing! Teagan took out his scanner and got a scan of it. It could be a very valuable scan that he could use in the future.

Iflar was still in the meeting hall with Najarin. They looked at Teagan and the map in his hands.

"You have it," said Iflar.

Teagan nodded. He looked at it in his hands. What he was holding was possibly one of the most valuable maps in Perim. It held many secrets both good and bad. It couldn't be in the hands of just any Creature. It needed to be possessed by someone who would use it for good. Teagan knew he couldn't give the map to Iflar.

"Give the map to me, Teagan," said Najarin. "I will keep it safe."

Teagan glanced at Iflar. The Crown Prince nodded and Teagan handed the map over to Najarin.

"Thank you," said Najarin, tucking the map away. He left the room.

Iflar turned to Teagan. "You are aware you will have to steal it from Najarin now," said Iflar.

Teagan paled.

Iflar laughed. "Do not worry. It is in good hands with Najarin. Let's get your reward."

Teagan licked his lips. Reward? He was hoping that it was a Mipedian dessert.

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><p><strong>Review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting quietly in the Port Court was a young man dressed in dark pants and a dark sweatshirt with the hood up. He was nursing his left hand. The knuckles were skinned and bruised. The young man picked up his soda and carefully sipped at his drink.

Jay was known to be bad news and everyone tended to stay away from him. He did not mind so much. At least he did not have to answer questions about how he got hurt.

Today was not much different than any other day. Various parts of his body throbbed and ached, covered in bandages. Jay knew his face was a real mess. It was why he kept his hood up so no one could see his face. He could barely see out of his left eye and it was painful to open his mouth.

Jay looked around the Port Court and saw a few players staring at him. He got up and went to Perim.

Jay had a favorite place he liked to go in Perim. Though he had no friends, if he told them, they would be very surprised. Jay liked to hear a certain Creature in the UnderWorld speak. After creeping around several darkened, unused passageways, Jay came to a small balcony alcove.

On the other side of the large room was Agitos, speaking to the UnderWorld soldiers. Jay made himself comfortable and listened to the UnderWorlder. Agitos was Jay's favorite Creature. He always thought it was a bit of a strange choice, but the more he thought about it, the more he saw that it was fitting. Jay was always learned new things when he listened to Agitos speak. A few weeks ago, Jay did not have a clue to what the word "flaunt" meant. That's when went out and bought a pocket dictionary and started learning new words.

Jay was sitting and listening for a long time. When Agitos finished his speech, Jay crept away. He did not get far when a shadow caught his eye. Frowning, Jay decided to follow it. Jay caught up with the shadow and saw it was Skithia.

Skithia was making her way silently along the corridors, Jay following in the shadows as closed as he dared. Crossing a Creature was not a smart move, but Jay wanted to know what Von Bloot's go-to gal was doing here. Then he knew. Skithia paused and listened. Jay did the same. He heard shuffling footsteps coming down another corridor.

"Agitos," Jay whispered in horror.

Skithia prepared to attack. One shot was all she needed. Agitos may have been one of Chaor's advisors, but an advisor was all he was. He was not a strong fighter and he was not very fast. His brains would not outweigh Skithia's brawn in this contest.

Something slammed into Skithia from behind and sent her tumbling forward. She whipped around to see a figure in dark clothes flip over her and grab her arm. There was a sharp snap and Skithia cried out in pain.

Jay got to his feet. He knew Skithia's arm was broken. How badly was anyone's guess. As Skithia got to her feet, Jay attacked again, this time her leg. He did not hit her hard enough to do any major damage, but he had inflicted the maximum amount of pain, squarely hitting a cluster of nerves.

Skithia looked up at Jay and attacked him. Jay went flying back, bouncing off the wall behind him. He crumpled on the floor, his arms around his middle. Jay cursed and looked up. Skithia was back on her feet, holding her broken arm and limping up to him.

"Little rat," she spat.

Skithia picked him up by the collar and held Jay in front of her face.

"You're human?" she asked in shock.

Jay snapped his head forward, smashing his forehead into Skithia's nose. Skithia shrieked and dropped Jay. Jay slammed his stiff fingers into her diaphragm. Skithia, gasping for breath, took a swing at Jay and managed to connect her fist with his shoulder. Jay went flying again. When he looked up, he saw Skithia making her escape as quick as she could into the shadows.

"Witch," muttered Jay, trying to get to his feet. He had to get out of there. Someone must have heard the fighting and was coming to investigate. Jay reached into his pocket for his scanner.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Jay knew the voice all too well. He had just listened to it a moment ago. He turned his head and looked up to see Agitos standing over him.

"Crud," muttered Jay before he blacked out.

Jay could not have been out for very long. He came to lying face down on the floor. He could see a pair of blue taloned feet next to him and a matching tail swishing across the polished floor. It hurt to breathe. Skithia had thrown Jay into a wall, but Jay was already sore from earlier.

"You are either brave or foolish, human," said Agitos.

"Heh. That's a matter of opinion," wheezed Jay.

Agitos knelt beside him. "Can you stand?"

"Let's find out," said Jay. He managed to get his hands under himself and pushed himself onto his knees.

"You must not be hurt too badly," said Agitos. "You only fainted for a few seconds."

Jay got himself to his feet and swayed. He put his arms around his middle. If he did not have broken ribs from earlier in the day, he certainly had them now.

"Why are you here?" asked Agitos.

"Just skulking around," said Jay. "Nothing new."

Agitos growled. "If you are looking for scans," he started.

"I'm not here for scans," said Jay. He looked himself over, checking his nose and lip for blood. His head was throbbing from where he made contact with Skithia's nose. No doubt she had a bloody nose of her own.

"Oh?" asked Agitos. "Then what are you here for?"

Jay looked away. "You'd laugh," he said.

"Try me," said Agitos.

Jay pressed his lips tightly together. "I wanted to hear your speech," he admitted.

"So you can tell whoever you're spying for?" Agitos growled dangerously.

"No," said Jay. "Just to listen."

Agitos frowned in surprise. "Just to hear me?"

Jay nodded. "I know. It's stupid," he muttered.

"No," said Agitos. "It's not stupid. I'm actually flattered."

There was the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere," said Agitos.

Agitos led Jay to a room where they would have some privacy. Jay sat in a chair the first chance he got and let out a wheezing sigh.

Agitos took a seat as well. "So you like to hear me speak?" he said.

"Yes," muttered Jay.

"Speak up, boy," said Agitos. "It is very difficult to understand you with your muttering."

"Sorry," said Jay, a little clearer. "It's the best I can do."

Jay pulled his hood back. In addition to a swollen left eye, he had a large welt on his jaw and a split lip. The rest of his face was covered in various shades of blue, green, and yellow of fading bruises.

Agitos raised an eyebrow. "My, aren't we strong."

"Skithia only caused some of these," said Jay, running his fingers over his face.

"Skithia?" asked Agitos. He growled. "Von Bloot is bold to try to attack Chaor here."

"Not Chaor," said Jay. "You. You are one of Chaor's advisors after all. You're probably the only one who can keep him from attacking first and asking questions later."

Agitos chortled. "That may be true." He turned serious. "But if Skithia only caused some of these injuries, what are the other ones from?"

Agitos saw Jay visibly withdraw.

"Trying to stay alive," muttered Jay.

"Really?" asked Agitos. "Life on Earth is that hard?"

"It is for me," said Jay. "Rough neighborhood, rough school. I'm too busy making sure I can stay alive. I'm flunking all my classes and I'm constantly getting the snot beat out of me. It's getting better since I'm learning to fight back, but I still cannot do any better academically."

"Smart move," said Agitos.

Jay scoffed. "I'm smart enough to keep myself alive, that's it. Other than that, I'm not going to amount to anything."

Agitos frowned. "Who told you that?"

"My teacher, my parents," said Jay. "I'm just a kid from a rough neighborhood. I'm going to fall through the cracks. No one cares."

"You must be doing something right if you are able to come and go from Perim and Earth," said Agitos. "You must have some knowledge."

"Tch! I had to buy a dictionary to understand some of the words you say in your speeches," said Jay. "I'm not that smart."

"Well, you have a desire to learn," said Agitos. "Most Creatures in your situation do not. They want to fight to see who is stronger."

"I don't want to do that," said Jay. "I can fight. I'll fight to defend someone, but I don't want to go out of my way to throw a few punches."

Agitos smirked. "You know, being the strongest isn't always the way to be on top. Look at me. I may not be able to fight, but I am one of the inner circle of the greatest warrior in Perim."

"That's open to debate," said Jay. "UnderWorld, yes, but I don't know about Perim."

"How dare you!" cried Agitos.

Jay chuckled before holding his sides again. "I'm just messing with you."

Agitos smirked. "All right. If you seek knowledge, you'll be able to show your teacher and your parents that you can amount to something. If you would like, I can help you when I can."

"Thank you," said Jay.

Three weeks later, Agitos met with Jay in the room where they first spoke.

"How are things on Earth?" asked Agitos.

Jay smiled. He had a few bruises, but nothing near as bad when Agitos first met him. "Things are great. I did what you said about giving them little riddles. They stalled them long enough for me to get out of there. My grades are getting better, too. I got a 78% on my English test."

"That's great," said Agitos. "How much have your conflicts with other students improved?"

"Two a week instead of two a day," Jay said with a sigh of relief.

Agitos grinned. "You are showing them."

Jay frowned. "Showing them what?"

"That you are not going to slip through the cracks," said Agitos. "Keep it up and they will one day say, 'That young man was in my class in a rough school, in a rough neighborhood, and now he is one of the greatest people I know.'"

"You really think that?" Jay asked.

Agitos nodded. "I know that."

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><p><strong>Review, please!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Tom was waiting at the fountain in Kiru City's main square. His friend should have been here long already, but a girl was allowed to be late. Still, she had invited him, so she should have the courtesy to show up on time.

There was a gentle tap on Tom's shoulder.

"Hey," he said with a smile as he turned to see a girl his age with dirty blonde wavy hair. "I was wondering where you were."

The girl sat down next to him. She wore a blue and white knit ski hat, a white long sleeved shirt, a light blue vest, and jeans. Her blue eyes sparkled at seeing her friend.

Hi, Tom. How are you? she signed with her hands.

"I'm great," said Tom. "How are you, Ashleigh?"

Fine.

"So what's up?" asked Tom. "I'm surprised that you wanted to meet here."

I know. Not my first choice, but I thought I would try something new. Besides, you're always in Kiru. Helping Bodel, yes?

"Not today," said Tom.

There was a loud noise across the square that grabbed Tom's attention. He looked over and saw that it was just a broken wagon wheel. The owner was less than pleased. Everyone had turned to see what had happened. Everyone, except Ashleigh.

Tom turned to her and frowned. "You didn't hear that?" he asked.

Hear what? asked Ashleigh.

"You don't have your hearing aids in, do you?" asked Tom.

Not here. There is too much noise. You may be able to pick out a sound, but I can't with my hearing aids in. Everything sounds gargled to me. Ashleigh lifted a flap of her hat and showed Tom that she did not have anything in her ear. I'm reading your lips now.

Tom smiled. I can sign.

Ashleigh's face brightened. "Oh, Tom," she managed to get out of her mouth.

I've been learning since I met you. Just in case I would have to sign when you couldn't hear. Tom easily signed.

Thank you so much! Ashleigh signed. You do not know how much this means to me!

Tom saw there were a few happy tears in her eyes. Don't cry! There's nothing to cry over. He smiled.

There was another outburst from the Creature with the broken wagon wheel. Tom cringed at the commotion.

Lucky. You can't hear this. Tom signed. Let's go someplace quieter.

Okay.

Tom led Ashleigh down a back alley where it was much quieter and more private. Tom skipped ahead of her and began walking backwards, signing with his hands.

So why did you want to talk to me? Couldn't you have just showed up in the Port Court and told me there? Tom asked.

I thought I would come to you. Ashleigh answered. More convenient for you.

Liar. signed Tom.

Ashleigh stopped and hung her head. True.

Tom thought for a moment. Let's go to the library.

Why?

Tom took her hand and tugged her in the direction of the library.

They sat on the low wall at the back of the library where they would have plenty of privacy.

What is it? asked Tom.

A lot of things. Ashleigh replied. Home. School. I'm so mixed up.

Tom put a hand on her shoulder. Ashleigh turned to him with a few tears in her eyes.

Start from the beginning. Tom signed.

Ashleigh nodded and wiped her tears away. I am the only one in my family without most of my hearing. I have some of it, but I am legally deaf. A noise has to be very loud for me to hear it without my hearing aids. I did not hear whatever happened in the square earlier.

She took a moment and gave her fingers a rest. I go to a school with deaf students. Everyone is like me. When I came to Chaotic, I was so scared. I had my hearing aids, but I thought that wouldn't be enough. Then I became the Creatures and I had my hearing back. A few tears slipped from Ashleigh's eyes. To me, that's enough. To hear for a little while, that's enough for me.

What are you saying, Ashleigh? asked Tom.

I'm a good candidate for a new surgery, one to restore hearing.

Tom beamed. "That's great, Ashleigh," he said, forgetting to sign.

Ashleigh, who had been looking at him to see his reaction, shook her head. No, it's not. Well, maybe it is. I don't know. She put her head in her hands.

Tom coaxed her into looking at him. There were large tears falling down her cheeks now. You're scared, aren't you?

I'm terrified, Tom. said Ashleigh. If I get the surgery and I get my hearing back, I'll have to change schools. I'll leave all my friends behind. The deaf are a community, a family. They can understand each other. I don't know if I can be part of the world of the hearing. But my parents want me to have the surgery. They want me to be able to hear, to be normal. Tom, there's nothing wrong with me.

What do you want? asked Tom. That's the real question.

I don't know. answered Ashleigh.

Don't you think it would be nice if you could hear without the hearing aids? asked Tom. To be able to truly hear me, to hear another person? Your parents love you, Ashleigh. They just want you to be happy and have a full life. They want you to experience everything.

Is there something wrong with me, Tom? asked Ashleigh.

Depends on who you're asking. Tom answered.

I'm asking you.

"Oh, boy." Tom blew a breath up to ruffled his bangs. "Way to put me on the spot." I don't think there's anything wrong with you. You're happy with yourself, right?

Ashleigh nodded.

Then it shouldn't matter what I think. Tom went on.

Ashleigh put her head down and let his words sink in.

Tom glanced over Ashleigh's shoulder to see a friend of his.

"I see you made a new friend, Tom Majors," said Najarin. The old muge observed Ashleigh's posture. "Is there something wrong?"

"She's had a rough day," said Tom. "Maybe a rough few days."

"What has happened to you, girl?" Najarin asked Ashleigh.

Ashleigh, unaware that Najarin was standing behind her, said nothing.

Tom gave a small smile. "She can't hear you," he told Najarin. "Ashleigh's very hard of hearing. She doesn't have her hearing aids in at the moment. We were actually just talking about that. There's an experimental surgery that can possibly restore her hearing. Ashleigh's parents want her to get it, but Ashleigh's not sure what she wants."

Ashleigh looked up at Tom and frowned. She turned and let out a scream, slipping from the wall. Tom caught her by the arm and laughed. She looked from Najarin to Tom.

How long has he been there? she demanded.

Not long. answered Tom, still snickering.

Stop that! It's not funny. You know Najarin has a rep among the players. Some of us don't even go to the same location where he is if we know about it. Ashleigh signed frantically, glancing at Najarin every few signs.

"What is she saying?" asked Najarin.

Tom looked up at Najarin. "Some players fear you. Ashleigh's one of them."

Ashleigh punched Tom in the arm. Don't tell him that!

He asked. defended Tom. Besides, he's not going to hurt you.

Najarin put his hand on Ashleigh's shoulder. She flinched and looked up at him. Najarin's blue eyes flashed briefly as he established a mental connection with Ashleigh.

_It took a moment to find Ashleigh's consciousness. Her mind was a dark room of fear. There were damaged mirrors that reflected her life. Najarin could see Ashleigh was torn between her current life and a life with hearing._

"_This is much simpler than using Tom to translate what I say," Najarin said._

"_What do you want?" asked Ashleigh._

"_Nothing," said Najarin. "I only want to put your mind at ease. I like having Chaotic players respect my wishes of not being scanned, but I do not go out of my way to harm a player. Never once have I harmed a human, only scared them. And you are a friend of Tom's. Harming you would be the same as harming Tom."_

_Najarin looked at the mirrors. There was also a small glow to one of them, a light of hope to have both things. "There is an alternative to this," he said to Ashleigh, gesturing to the mirrors._

"_And what's that?" asked Ashleigh._

"_If you have the surgery, you can still be with your friends," said Najarin. "Fearing that you will lose them should not hold you back from what you want to do. And if they reject you for being able to hear, then perhaps they truly are not your friends."_

Najarin left Ashleigh's mind.

"What just happened?" asked Tom, confused.

Ashleigh blinked and put her hand up to her ear.

"Ashleigh and I simply had a chat about what she should do," said Najarin.

* * *

><p>Later, when Tom was getting ready for bed, his scanner rang.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tom," said Ashleigh. She had her hearing aids back in.

"Hey, Ashleigh," said Tom. "How are things?"

She smiled. "Better. That talk with you and with Najarin really helped me out. And you were right. I want to hear with my own ears, not with a Creature's. I'm going to tell my parents I want the surgery, so I won't be around Chaotic for a while. I'll see you when I'll see you."

"Okay," said Tom. "Good luck. And the next time we talk, you'll be able to hear me."

Ashleigh smiled and the screen went black.

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><p><strong>Review! Review! I prefer reviews over story favorites! They are much more meaningful.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**This next chapter is a bit boring, but it sets the scene for another chapter so it is a bit important.**

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><p>Maxxor walked to the arsenal to pick up some Battle Gear. He was expecting to see Tom there, since the boy helped Bodal from time to time. He was not expecting to hear another excited voice when he entered the arsenal.<p>

"Did it come?" Maxxor heard Kaz say eagerly.

"Yes," Tom answered.

"Let me see!" Kaz said.

Maxxor walked back an aisle of gear and saw Tom hand something to Kaz. It looked to be an envelope.

"You didn't open it yet?" Kaz asked, ripping open the envelope.

"Not that one," said Tom.

Kaz paused and looked at his friend. "'Not that one'? There are more?"

Tom nodded and took several more envelopes from his pocket. Some of them were open already.

Kaz squealed in excitement and snatched the envelopes.

"Just put the letters back in the right envelopes," said Tom as he went about his business.

"What is this?" asked Maxxor, making his presence known.

Tom turned and smiled at his favorite Creature. "Hi, Maxxor. Some of my cousins sent me letters. Kaz has been trying to keep up with what goes on with my family."

"Anything new?" asked Maxxor, curious about Tom's family. He never spoke about it much. From what Maxxor knew, Tom was an only child.

Kaz was sitting on a crate and had the letters on his lap. He was reading one intently, his eyes flicking across the page behind his pink-lensed glasses. "A few things," he said shortly and continued to read.

"I received letters from three of my cousins and two of their friends," said Tom. "I never thought I would be talking to their friends."

"Why is that?" asked Maxxor.

"They're older than me," said Tom.

"Cory's not that much older than us," said Kaz.

"She's still older," said Tom. "Kaz, I need Jess' letter for a minute."

Kaz put down the letter he was reading and handed an envelope to him. This envelope seemed a bit thicker than the others. Tom took out a small stack of paper and handed the envelope back to Kaz.

"Jess sent pictures?" asked Kaz.

Maxxor looked at the photographs with interest. He had only seen pictures like this once. Tom had shown him a photograph of Tom's mother. The people in these photos slightly resembled Tom, but they were older than Tom and Kaz.

"My mom is the youngest of six kids," said Tom. "They all have black hair and dark blue eyes."

Maxxor looked at Tom. "Your eyes are light blue," he pointed out.

"I get the color from my father," said Tom.

Maxxor turned back to the photos. There were three people who kept showing up in the photos. One was a small girl a little older than Tom with black hair feathered around her face. Her eyes were such a dark shade of blue they looked almost black. She was wearing a white shirt with a black vest and black shorts, a brilliant smile spread across her face.

"This is Cory?" asked Maxxor.

"Yep," said Tom. "Don't let the woman standing beside her fool you. Cory's only a head shorter than I am."

Maxxor looked at the woman Tom pointed out. She was a rough looking human. Her nose looked to have been broken several times in the past, her lips were thin, her face was long and sharply angled. She wore rough jeans, a black top with a bright pink and orange design, and wrapped around her left wrist was a bandage. She had the same dark blue eyes as Cory and her black hair was cut just below her shoulders. Her figure was like that of a warrior's. The muscles in her arms were clearly defined.

"That's Jess," said Tom. "This wasn't taken too long ago. She sprained her wrist at work."

"What she calls work," Kaz put in.

"Hey, call it whatever you want," said Tom. "Just remember she can throw both of us clear across the yard."

Kaz shuddered.

"This much of a height difference between Cory and Jess, Jess must be far taller than you," said Maxxor.

Tom nodded. "Six feet," he said. "She's always been built like an Amazon."

Maxxor turned his attention back to the photograph and to a young man in a heavy black coat. He had the same eyes and his black hair was spiked up. He was as tall as Jess, maybe a little shorter.

"Who is this?" asked Maxxor.

"That's Dimitri," said Tom. "He's a bit of a jerk. He loves playing pranks."

"You should tell him what he did to you that one Christmas," said Kaz.

"The jerk," spat Tom at the memory. "It was last year, too."

"What happened?" asked Maxxor.

"I fell asleep in the living room and the next morning I wake up to the sound of an air horn," said Tom. "Scared the living daylights out of me."

"And Tom couldn't hear out of his right ear for the better part of the day," added Kaz.

"Usually it's Jess and Dimitri pranking each other," said Tom. "They tend to leave us younger kids out of it."

"Ah, they don't want to be teaching you their bad habits," said Maxxor.

Tom snorted. "No. They just don't want us to get any broken bones."

"When it gets too bad and Jess has had enough, she'll beat the snot of Dimitri," said Kaz.

Tom laughed. "I still remember him begging for mercy after he put the itching powder in her clothes. She really let him have it that time."

Kaz looked back at the letter he was reading and started laughing. "Apparently he was at it again and Jess had enough."

"She beat him to a pulp?" asked Tom.

"Yes and no," said Kaz. "Depends on what you mean by 'pulp'."

"Really?" asked Tom. "What did she do?"

"Cory says Jess strung him up a tree and used him for a pinata," said Kaz.

"Please tell me she didn't use a baseball bat," said Tom, horrified.

"No, a wet pool noodle," replied Kaz.

"Ouch," said Tom, wincing. "That'll leave welts."

"So who else wrote to you?" asked Maxxor.

"Jess' fiancé, Chad," said Tom. "And Chad's friend, Rooney."

"I don't think I ever met Rooney," said Kaz. "I think I remember Chad."

"You met Chad," said Tom. "You weren't home when Rooney visited."

Tom went through the stack of photos and found the one he was looking for. It showed a man in his twenties in a camouflage jacket standing next to Jess. His brown hair was crewcut and his brown eyes had a hopeful light in them. He was built like a warrior and stood three inches taller than Jess.

"That's Chad," said Tom. "He's a soldier."

Maxxor took the photo from Tom. While Maxxor looked the photo over, Tom found another picture, this one of a much shorter young man with black hair and dark eyes. He, too, wore a camouflage jacket.

"And that's Rooney," said Tom.

Kaz and Maxxor looked at the other photo.

"Nice to have a face to a name," said Kaz. He looked up at Tom. "Cory mentioned something in her letter about what happened to them."

Tom nodded. "Yeah, things have been very rough for them."

"What happened?" asked Maxxor.

"Chad and Rooney are part of the same squad," said Tom. "They were over in Afghanistan not too long ago. Their Humvee hit a road side bomb and they were ambushed. The explosion did the most damage. Two of their squad were killed instantly and another died when they were trying to get him out of there. Rooney lost most of his right leg.

"There was a lot of gunfire. Chad managed to get to Rooney and he carried him to safety. Chad then went back to help the others. He was shot twice in the chest. They made it out, but they're still healing. I know that Rooney is on some serious painkillers. I was reading his letter and you can tell he can't think straight."

Maxxor had some respect for these two humans. "I would very much like to meet them someday."

"You may get that chance," said Tom. "Chad's in the hospital still. Jess told him about Chaotic and he is really getting into it. He may be able to come to Perim sometime."

"Tom!" a nasally voice called.

Tom groaned. "All right, Bodal, I'm coming," he said.

Kaz snickered and went back to reading.

Maxxor watched Tom go and then turned back to the photographs. He would very much like to meet these humans. They sounded like good men, good influences for future generations. And like Tom said, there was the chance that Maxxor would meet one of them eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry this is taking so long to post. Normally I have several chapters already written and on my computer so I can just continue posting at a steady rate. That's not happening with this story. I've been a bit bogged down with other fics such as my Danny Phantom piece that has had so many reviews that I'm doing more than I expected to. Please enjoy and review.**

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><p>Kor-Bek Island was not a place many Creatures went. In fact, no one had set foot on the island for a thousand solans, believing the island was cursed. That was until a small group of humans came and learned the secret of the island.<p>

Antidaeon smiled at the memory. He was with the humans when one called Tom gave a very plausible explanation about what happened all those solans ago. If a small group of humans could find the courage to explore the island, why couldn't the scout?

Antidaeon's first steps on Kor-Bek Island were a bit hesitant. To be safe and close to the water, he was going to explore the shore first. There was nothing out of the ordinary, until he came to a strange mound in the sand. It did not appear to be naturally made. He walked over slowly to see what it was.

The mound was actually a few smaller mounds and consisted of several things: a basket, a long, colorful board, sandals, a balled up blue shirt with white flowers, and something under a blue towel. Antidaeon carefully pulled the towel back.

What was under the towel suddenly jerked and Antidaeon jumped. The towel went flying back. Antidaeon found himself looking at a human.

The human was just as surprised as Antidaeon. His blue eyes were wide and he had scampered back in the sand, tangling himself in his towel. He looked up at Antidaeon and started laughing. He said something in another language, something Antidaeon could not understand.

"Aloha, Antidaeon," he said.

Antidaeon frowned.

The human rubbed his eyes and untangled himself. "What a way to wake up," said the human.

"Sorry," said Antidaeon.

"That's fine," said the human, getting to his feet. The human looked to be a little older than the humans Antidaeon came across in the past. This one was a little closer to manhood. His skin was tan, his hair was wild and a mix of light brown and blonde, and extremely frizzy. He only wore a pair of shorts, showing off his toned muscles in his arms and chest. Around his neck was a necklace of shells, a small pendant of a sea turtle hanging from the middle. He looked at the sun's position. "About time I got up, anyway."

"What are you doing out here, boy?" asked Antidaeon.

"Besides taking a nap?" asked the human. "I was surfing for the better part of the night. Didn't feel like going back to Chaotic, so I slept here."

"Aren't you afraid of what lurks here?" asked Antidaeon.

"Not really," said the boy with a shrug. "Tom and some of his friends told me what happened here."

Antidaeon perked up hearing this. "You know Tom?"

"Only in passing," said the boy.

"What's your name?" asked Antidaeon.

"Kai," the boy replied. "My name's Kai."

Kai turned to the ocean and squinted. Antidaeon turned as well, trying to see what Kai was seeing.

"Not much action today," Kai said after a moment. "Tomorrow may be a little better. Oh, well. I was kinda hoping to set up a more permanent camp here, but if the surf's no good I'll move somewhere else."

Antidaeon frowned at Kai. "How do you know that?" he asked.

"My family has a lot of wave readers in it," said Kai. "I'm Hawaiian. Sure, I have mainlander blood in me, but that doesn't keep me from knowing when the surf's going to be good or if a storm's on its way. Living out on the islands, you better have someone there that knows how to predict the waves."

Antidaeon wasn't sure if this boy was just telling stories or was serious. Yes, there were ways to tell when a storm was coming, but could a human tell a day in advance? It didn't seem possible to Antidaeon.

"Well, since you're here, want something to eat?" asked Kai, opening the basket. He pulled out something wrapped in white paper. Whatever it was was juicy and was seeping through the paper. "Got a little soggy, but it's still good." Kai unwrapped the paper.

"What is it?" asked Antidaeon.

"Beef patties smothered in teriyaki and some slices of pineapple," answered Kai.

Antidaeon did not know what teriyaki was and it did not look appetizing to him.

Kai brought out something else wrapped in white paper. "Grilled fish with a little sea salt," Kai said when he opened it. "And there's a container of guacamole in here somewhere."

Antidaeon ate some of the fish and tried the guacamole. Surprisingly it was very tasty despite its color.

"Well, I'll be on my way," said Kai once they were finished. He packed up everything and was getting ready to 'port out.

"I'll be in a coastal village north of here for the next few days," said Antidaeon.

"I'll see you later then," said Kai. He looked at the basket. "I'll bring more guacamole, too."

Kai 'ported away.

Antidaeon chuckled. What an odd human. But why did Antidaeon tell Kai where he would be for the next few days?

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><p>Two days later Antidaeon was looking out at the sea. It was a beautiful day on the coast. The village children were playing on the shore, picking up shells and swimming close to the land.<p>

One of the children began crying out, "Look! Look!"

Antidaeon turned and saw Kai standing on a board paddling towards the shore. Again, Kai was not wearing a shirt and his skin was glistening from sweat and the spray of the sea. There was a backpack on Kai's back. The board was a bit different from the one Antidaeon saw from the other day, this one longer and wider.

Kai looked up and saw Antidaeon. He waved to the Creature and paddled to shore. He pulled his board out of the water and propped it against some rocks far from the high tide line. The children were curious, but none of them dared to approach the human. Kai took his shirt out of his backpack and slipped it on, not bothering to button it up.

"It's certainly a good day for paddle boarding," Kai called up to Antidaeon. He took something else out of his bag. It was a container filled with something green. "I brought more!"

Antidaeon smiled and shook his head. "Come up here, Kai!"

Kai grinned and jogged up to the village. He handed Antidaeon the container. "I brought banana bread, too."

The Creatures of the village were intrigued by Kai and his easygoingness. And they had never seen a human with Kai's coloring before. Kai and Antidaeon were invited into the chief's house to get out of the sun.

Much later, Kai and Antidaeon went outside. Kai stiffened as he looked at the sea.

"What is it?" asked Antidaeon.

"There's a storm coming," said Kai, fingering his sea turtle charm.

Antidaeon looked at the sky and sea. Everything appeared calm and there was no sign of a storm.

"Are you sure?" asked Antidaeon.

Kai nodded.

Kai left after that. Antidaeon went to the village's wise one and asked him if he thought a storm was coming. The wise one said there was no sign of a storm.

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><p>The next day, while the children were playing on the shore, the sea began to turn rough. Antidaeon looked out and began to think that Kai may have been right. But at this point the storm was far out to sea.<p>

There was a sudden scream from the children on the shore. Antidaeon looked down and did a quick headcount. There was a child missing. His first thought was that a child had been caught in a riptide. He turned his attention farther out to sea. Sure enough, almost out of sight, a small head bobbed. The scout wasted no time running down to the shore and jumping into the water. Antidaeon was quick in the water and he prayed that he would reach the child in time.

Antidaeon poked his head above water to see where the child was. Instead of just seeing the child, he saw Kai on his paddle board, fighting the waves. Kai was far ahead of Antidaeon.

Kai found the child, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him onto the board.

"Hold on," said Kai, turning the board around to start for shore.

Antidaeon caught up with Kai.

"You steer, I'll push!" Antidaeon said.

Kai nodded as Antidaeon swam behind the board, pushing it along the way.

Once at the shore, Kai pulled his board up out of the water. The child was fine and went running to his mother.

"That was brave of you," Antidaeon said to Kai.

Kai dropped his board and flopped on the sand. "No one back home will ever believe this," he said, gasping for breath between words.

Kai slowly got his breath back and sat up. "I told you there was a storm coming."

"It's far out to sea," said Antidaeon. "It may not come this way."

Kai snorted. "The waves are becoming rougher by the minute and in case you haven't noticed, the birds have all gone quiet."

Antidaeon listened. Kai was right, not a bird sang. It was becoming very quiet, like the calm before the storm.

"I'll let the wise one and the chief know," said Antidaeon.

Kai nodded and got to his feet.

Antidaeon told the chief and the wise one. The wise one insisted that the storm was not going to come their way.

"Why trust a human?" the wise one demanded. "What do humans know?"

"I'm not sure," said Antidaeon. "But after what I witnessed, I am willing to take his word for it. And he is right; the sea is getting rougher."

The wise one growled.

"We will prepare for the storm," said the chief. "It is better to be safe and be ready and have it not come our way than to have it hit and us not prepared for it."

Antidaeon nodded.

The village buzzed with activity as everyone prepared for the storm.

"They are listening?" asked Kai.

Antidaeon nodded. "They rather be safe than unprepared," he said. "You should go home, too. You don't need to stay with us."

"I'll stay if you want me to," said Kai.

"You'll be safer back in Chaotic," said Antidaeon.

"Okay," said Kai.

Antidaeon watched Kai get his board and 'port away. The wind was strong and the black clouds were rolling in from the sea. Kai left just in time. Now it was time for Antidaeon to take shelter.


	6. Chapter 6

Kyle was trying so hard not to lose his temper, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with the number of people swarming around him. Physically, Kyle wasn't anything special. He was as average as they came with his brown hair and brown eyes. That's not why everyone was crowding around him. They were all trying to get a look at his latest work. Kyle was an artist. He loved to sketch whatever came to mind and he was known for making amazing drawings of Creatures.

"Enough!" the teen finally shouted, standing up.

Kyle walked over to the port discs and ported away.

Kyle had not looked at what location had popped up on his Scanner when he ported and frankly he didn't care. He found that he was in Mipedian territory. Good. Mipedians loved their secrets and would not go out of their way to bug him. But there was also a downside: the heat. Kyle was not a fan of sitting in the sun all day. He tended to get sunburned easily.

He looked around and found a tunnel. He looked at his Scanner, bringing up the Creature radar. There were a few Creatures down there, but Kyle was not going to go so far in that he was going to bother them. With any luck they wouldn't notice him at all.

Kyle entered the tunnel and traveled down below the sands of the desert. The tunnel was lit with crystals. The air became cool and there was the smell of death. Kyle wrinkled his nose. He found a nice alcove and sat down. He could see a little using the light of the crystals, but no one could see him unless they were looking for him. Kyle's dark clothes hid him well in the shadows.

Quietly, he continued his work. He quickly became lost in his own little world as he began drawing Na-inna, inspired by the Mipedian location he was currently in. He never noticed he was being watched. The Mipedian who noticed him did not even need his invisibility as he crept over to the human.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" asked the Mipedian.

Kyle stopped drawing and let out a small snarl. "Can't a guy get a little peace and quiet to work?" he said irritably. He looked up at the Mipedian and saw this one was wearing a fuchsia cloak. Kyle paled and gulped. "Conjuror," he said in a tiny voice. And if memory served Kyle correctly, this particular conjuror was named Fivarth.

"Mind your tongue, human," Fivarth warned. "Why are you here?"

"I came here to get away from everyone else. They were bothering me," said Kyle. "It was hot, so I wandered down here to get out of the heat."

Fivarth scoffed. "You wouldn't last one day out in the desert," he said.

"I'm not saying I would," said Kyle.

He turned back to his drawing. It would have to wait for now. He started to close his sketchbook when Fivarth put a finger in the pages.

"This is nice," said the conjuror. "The Royal Na-inna. I must admit she is quite lovely. This does her justice."

"Thank you," said Kyle.

Fivarth lifted the sketchbook from Kyle and began flipping through it.

"Edges only," Kyle said quickly. Fivarth gave him a glare. "I don't want you to smudge the graphite and charcoal. I haven't gotten the chance to coat the pages with anti-smudge."

Fivarth continued to flip through the sketchbook, but a little more carefully now. "You draw Creatures and locations." He stopped. "Najarin's castle."

"Yeah," said Kyle. "I did that one from memory. I could only stay for a few minutes. I don't like going there. I would like to do another one in full color. It's beautiful at night, but a lot of Chaotic players don't go there."

"Really?" asked Fivarth, arching a brow. "And here I thought you humans went where you pleased."

Kyle wrinkled his nose at Fivarth's comment. "We do have some sense of self-preservation."

Fivarth looked through a few more drawings. "These are all very good. You must be highly placed among your fellow humans."

Kyle scoffed. "Yeah, right," he muttered. "I do this for fun. Honestly I hate having people looking over my shoulder to see what I'm working on. It's annoying. That's why I came out here. They were hounding me again."

"I never thought someone wanted to be an outsider," said Fivarth.

"It's not that bad for me," said Kyle. "I'm borderline outcast as things stand. Drawing is the only thing I'm really good at."

"Be grateful, boy," said Fivarth. "You still have some people who care about you. Us conjurors, we were thrown out of Mipedian society. We are their greatest assets and yet they rejected us."

"Looks like the saying 'people fear what they don't understand' applies here in Perim as well," said Kyle. "But I'm sure that things aren't as bad as you see them."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Fivarth.

Kyle shifted in his seated position. "I'm sure there are Mipedians who admire conjurors. They just won't say anything out loud about it."

"You sound like you admire us," said Fivarth.

Kyle shrugged. "You guys push the limits of mugic," he said. "You want to know how far you can take something. I can respect that. You just got to remember there's always the chance that something can backfire. Some of the artists I look up to and respect have done the same thing. Van Gogh did great work, although he had more than a few screws up in his head loose if you get my meaning."

"Some of what we conjurors do sounds insane, but it is necessary," said Fivarth. "Look at where we are right now. We are in the catacombs of our ancestors because it is not safe for us to practice out in the open."

Kyle looked around. No wonder this place smelled like death. Pushing the smell aside, the location was beautiful in a morbid way. Now that his eyes adjusted, Kyle could make out some of the recessed tombs.

There was a sound deeper in the catacomb tunnels.

"You must leave," said Fivarth. "You will not be welcome here by my brothers."

"Just one minute," said Kyle, taking out his scanner. He scanned the location. He turned to Fivarth. "I hope you won't be outcasts one day."

"That hope is only an illusion," said Fivarth.

Kyle gave the conjuror a sad look before porting away.

Yes, the hope of one day not being outcasts and being accepted once again into Mipedian society was only an illusion, but Fivarth believed in it.

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><p><strong>Hopefully this holds you over the Easter holiday. I'm not sure the next time I will be posting anything, but I will be posting sometime in the next week. Review.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Fair warning: this chapter does have a racial slur in it. I thought I would warn you.**

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><p>Peyton was hanging out in the Mipidim Oasis with a few of his Mipedian buddies. All in attendance were Sobtjek and Tiaane, who happened to be in the same place at the same time, Peyton's good friends, Qwun, Zhade, and Siado.<p>

The Mipedians always found this particular human amusing and a pleasure to be around. Peyton always had an easy-going nature and was very agreeable. It was rare to see him in a bad mood.

Peyton was sharing some of the things he learned about a mugic he recently scanned when he stopped mid-sentence and his nose twitched. He turned to look over his shoulder and grinned.

"Well, I'll be," he said. "I never thought I would see her here."

The other Mipedians turned to see who Peyton was looking at. It was a human girl about Peyton's age carrying a basket.

"Rosario, mi amor!" called Peyton. "Ven aqui!"

The girl turned to them and forced a smile. She walked over to them. The Mipedians gave her a looking over. She had tanned skin and coarse dark hair that hung in waves around her face from under the colorful shawl she wore to keep the sun off her face. She wore a long skirt and a short sleeved top, both brightly colored. They could see she was a little on the heavy side, not like Peyton, but it was clear she had meat on her bones.

"Hola, Peyton," she said.

Peyton stepped over to give the girl some room to join their group. "This is Rosario," he said, introducing the girl to the Mipedians.

"What do you have in the basket?" asked Qwun, looking at the basket in her hands suspiciously.

"Lunch," replied Rosario, opening the basket.

The heady aroma of strong spices smacked all the Mipedians in the face. Peyton was very interested.

"Anything in there for me?" he asked, sneaking a look in the basket as Rosario moved things around.

"Plenty," she answered. "You said you wanted to try authentic Mexican cuisine and you got your wish."

Peyton let out an excited squeal as Rosario took several things from her basket. Qwun and Siado exchanged glances at Peyton reaction and Zhade chuckled.

"I could smell this across the road," Peyton said. "Knowing you, this is bound to be good. I always know good food when I smell it." Peyton immediately went for the homemade salsa Rosario brought with her.

"Whoa! Careful with that," Rosario said. "That stuff is spicy and it's been sitting for since yesterday. It's had time to get stronger."

"Not the first time I had super hot salsa," said Peyton, grabbing a bag of chips.

"Just go easy on it," Rosario said. "A gringo like you may not be able to handle it. I made it like I always do. I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't handle it."

Peyton made a face.

Rosario shook her head. "Your gut," she muttered. She turned to the Mipedians. "You can try some of it."

"I don't want to be eating your lunch," said Tiaane.

"I'm not that hungry," said Rosario. In a quiet voice she added, "And Peyton doesn't need to finish the basket by himself."

Qwun chuckled.

"Whoa," gasped Peyton, who had just taken a bite of salsa. "You weren't kidding."

"I told you," said Rosario, rummaging through the basket for something for Peyton to cleanse his palate. She handed him a piece of bread and some water.

The food was divided between Peyton and the Mipedians. Sobtjek was the first to notice that Rosario was not eating anything.

"You should eat," he said, trying to encourage her.

Rosario shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Your loss," Peyton said, finding a chicken quesadilla still warm in the bottom of the basket.

The older Mipedians noticed there was something on Rosario's mind, something that was keeping her from indulging in the good food she brought for them. There was far too much in the basket for only Peyton. Rosario had packed some for herself as well, yet she was not eating.

"What is it, child?" Tiaane asked Rosario.

Rosario looked up at him and found six pairs of eyes staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably under their gazes.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" asked Peyton.

"Es nada," Rosario quickly said.

"It's something," said Peyton. "I noticed you do this from time to time. You cook a lot and bring a basket in for someone and then you don't eat. Or you go a few days without eating, at least not that anyone in the Port Court sees. What is it?"

Rosario hung her head. "You know Terrence Slade, right, Peyton?"

"Yeah," said Peyton. "The guy's a complete jerk. He doesn't have any friends that I know of. Likes to bully some of the younger players around."

"Y mi," Rosario said.

"Look, Rosie, anything that guy says, he does it to hurt someone," said Peyton. "The words are as empty as his head, and that's saying something."

"I know," said Rosario, "but they still hurt."

"What did he say to you?" asked Siado.

"Not something I want to repeat," Rosario said.

Peyton frowned. "What?" he asked.

Rosario's breath hitched as a few tears ran down her cheeks. "He called me an ugly, fat wetback and said he hoped that immigration would deport me and my family back where we belong."

"What?" Peyton asked hoarsely.

Rosario nodded as more tears slid down her face.

The Mipedians glanced over to Peyton and were shocked to see him absolutely furious. None of them could remember him getting angry at anyone.

"He had no right to say that!" Peyton yelled, grabbing his scanner.

"What are you doing?" asked Rosario.

"Going give him a piece of my mind!" snapped Peyton, and he ported out.

Rosario was still crying and the Mipedians were too stunned for words. It was Sobtjek to make the first move and he sat in Peyton's vacant seat and tried to comfort Rosario. None of the Creatures were entirely certain of what Rosario was called, but clearly it was very offensive. It took a lot to get Peyton that angry at someone.

"There, there," Sobtjek said, gently running his hand up and down Rosario's back in a soothing motion.

Tiaane took a seat on the opposite side. "Hush now, child." He took a claw and gently tilted Rosario's face to his. "It was cruel of that human to say such words."

Rosario dashed a hand across her face. "Heh, I'm sure you don't know what the entire insult meant."

"No, but we understood the ugly and fat part," said Qwun. Zhade and Siado glared at him. "I didn't say we agree with it," Qwun defended.

With his glare lessening somewhat to Qwun, Siado spoke up. "You're not fat," he said to Rosario. "You have meat on your bones and that's a good thing. And there is nothing wrong with good eating as long as you're not gorging yourself at every meal."

"And a woman with curves is beautiful," Zhade added.

"Thanks, but the ugly and fat parts of the insult weren't the ones that bothered me the most," said Rosario. "It was what else he said, about me being a. . ." she trailed off, not wanting to repeat the horrible word she repeated earlier.

Understanding that she did not wish to repeat what was said by the awful human, Tiaane said, "About you and your family?"

Rosario nodded. "I'm second generation American. I was born in America. Peyton's American, too, but his bloodline traces back a bit farther than mine, I'm sure. And that jerk, Slade, if he shakes his family tree hard enough, he'll find that there are some American immigrants in it, too. But because my Mexican heritage shines through in a lot of things I do, I get labeled an ignorant immigrant. I know English and Spanish and I celebrate the American holidays and sometimes the Mexican ones. Just because I want to know my heritage, it doesn't make me a bad person."

"Of course not," Sobtjek assured.

Rosario thought for a moment. "I probably shouldn't have called Peyton a gringo."

"Hey, don't worry about that."

They jumped. None of them had noticed that Peyton returned. He had a smile on his face.

"What's going on?" Rosario asked. "You didn't do anything to get yourself in trouble, did you?"

"No way," said Peyton. "There's no way I'm going to risk my Chaotic privileges on a jerk like Slade. No, I just mopped the floor with him in a Beta Drome match."

"Gracias, Peyton," said Rosario.

"Anytime," Peyton said. He reached into the basket and found the last quesadilla. "I think this one is yours. You cooked it, you might as well have a few bites of it."

Rosario smiled and took the quesadilla. She bit into only to have some of the contents shoot out the other end and fall onto her lap. She looked down, made a face, and started laughing. The others joined in with her.


	8. Chapter 8

**I was not aware that I was taking special requests from people, but I guess I am. I was not expecting this story to get so much attention. I originally wrote it for something to do between fics and this turned about to be a big thing. I would like to say that this chapter is a request from Toaneo07 Ver2.0.**

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><p>Hiking alone was something that Emma liked to do. Recently she had been exploring a wasteland in the OverWorld and found herself in a lush jungle. She had scanned the jungle and left, but decided she would rather explore it herself instead of in a Drome match.<p>

Emma had short brown hair and was wearing jeans, a green shirt, a tan vest, and hiking boots. A rucksack was heavy on her shoulders. She adjusted it slightly to shift the weight and kept walking.

The jungle was amazing. Emma knew such places existed in the OverWorld, but she never freely explored them as she was doing now. Any other time she was on a scan quest, but today no scanning was needed.

Emma climbed up on a fallen tree trunk to get a better look of her surroundings. She balanced herself and began walking to its highest point. She was five feet above the ground and had a good view of the immediate area. There were some steep hills to the southwest that she wanted to explore. Hopping down from the log, Emma began to make her way over there.

An hour later, Emma was standing on top of a large hill, surveying the land below. An explosion caught her attention and the ground shook. Emma managed to maintain her balance and she looked over to see smoke and dust rising about a quarter mile from her.

Emma took out her scanner and used the telescoping feature to get a closer look. There were two Creatures, but they looked exactly the same! Emma's jaw dropped.

Another attack and another explosion caused the ground to shake violently again. This time Emma could not keep her balance and she pitched forward. She curled up in a ball and rolled down the steep embankment, losing her scanner. Emma smacked into something on her way down and it knocked her out.

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><p>It was dusk when Emma regained consciousness. She took a moment to figure out what happened. She put her hands under her and tried to get to her feet. A searing pain shot through her leg, originally starting at her ankle. Emma let out a cry of pain and looked down at her ankle. It didn't take a genius to see it was swollen. Emma just hoped it was only sprained and not broken.<p>

She reached into her pocket and found it empty. Where was her scanner? Emma searched for it frantically in the low light from where she was. It could have been anywhere from the top of the hill where she fell to somewhere in the brush. Thinking of the hill, Emma looked up to where she fell from.

"I was lucky," she whispered to herself. "That's a long way up and the only thing I have for it is a messed up ankle."

Emma grimaced as she forced herself up to a sitting position. Her ankle was very painful. "It's only going to get worse until you find your scanner," she whispered to herself. Emma tried to get to her feet and stand on her good leg, but the pain in her injured ankle kept her from getting completely up. "So much for that."

Emma searched within arm's reach for her scanner and came up empty. If she had a yellow or red scanner, she would be able to easily find it, but Emma's scanner was blue, not as hard to find as a brown scanner, but still a dark enough color that it wouldn't easily be spotted in the lessening light. She looked up at the hill again. Emma tried to remember how she fell to try to figure out where the most likely place her scanner was.

There was a sound in the brush. Emma instinctively froze and listened. What were her chances it was just the wind? Something told her the chances were slim. She heard it again and was certain it was not the wind.

Knowing she had to get out of there as fast as she could, Emma again tried to force herself to her feet. She started crying with pain. She turned to the hill and took a painful step forward and collapsed to the ground again with a pained whimper.

A shadow caught Emma's eye. She instantly closed her mouth and forced her crying to stop, afraid it would attract attention.

"What are you doing here?"

Too late.

Emma tensed and looked up at a ghostly Creature with four arms. She recognized the Creature as Iparu. She only heard of him in passing, but never saw him in a battle. The only thing Emma really knew about this Creature was that he helped Maxxor and Chaor defeat Aa'une. He fell into her category of not to be messed with.

Iparu simply looked at her curiously, taking in the young human's appearance. She looked like she had it a little rough.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I fell," said Emma. "I hurt my ankle and I lost my scanner."

"What's your name?" asked Iparu.

"Emma."

"I'll help you find your scanner, Emma," said Iparu.

Emma explained what happened to her earlier up until she fell. Iparu chuckled when she told him about the identical Creatures battling.

"That was me," said Iparu. "I have the ability to shape shift into anyone I touch, humans included."

Emma gave him a nervous glance and shrank back from him subconsciously.

Iparu chuckled again. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not going to do anything to you, except help you. Now let's get you up and find your scanner."

Emma nodded.

Iparu knelt down, two hands gripping Emma's and the other two on her hips. He carefully got her to her feet, making her stand on her good foot and helped her over to a large rock so she could sit down. Iparu carefully took her boot off and examined her ankle.

"It's not broken," he told her after prodding it, making Emma wince in pain. "But you must stay off this leg."

"If I find my scanner, I can go home and it will heal there," said Emma.

"I'll look for it," said Iparu.

"If it helps, it's blue in color," Emma added.

Iparu nodded and began his search.

Twenty minutes later Iparu returned with her scanner.

"You found it," said Emma. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Iparu, handing the scanner back to its owner.

Emma was about to port back home, but paused. She looked up at Iparu. "You're not who I thought you would be."

Iparu frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I know you helped Maxxor and Chaor defeat Aa'une," said Emma, "but other than that, I didn't know anything about you. Even though you're an OverWorlder, I thought you wouldn't be so nice to me. Most Creatures don't like humans very much."

Iparu smiled. "I've been a human once," he said. "I know what it's like. I've looked at it through a Creature's eyes and a human's and I have learned from it. Human or Creature, you should always be kind to someone who needs help."

Emma smiled. "Thanks again." Her finger was about to press the button on her scanner.

"I would not mind you visiting me again," said Iparu. "When your ankle is healed, of course."

This surprised Emma. "Okay," said Emma, her smile widening. She pressed the button on her scanner and she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**If you have been keeping up with this story as I know many of you have, you may want to go back to Chapter 4 because someone's coming back. I wasn't sure where I wanted to place this chapter. Originally it was going to be Chapter 6, but I decided I need to wait a little before a place it. So here we go!**

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><p>Tom stepped onto a fallen log and waited for his friend to catch up. He turned. "Are you okay? Do you need to stop?"<p>

The friend he was talking to was a young man in his twenties who stood six foot three. He wore a camouflage coat, jeans, and boots. His brown eyes did not possess the hopeful light that was in the photographs Jess had sent Tom, but they did not seem as hollow as they did after coming back from Afghanistan.

Chad caught up with Tom and took a breath. "I'm okay," he told Tom. He looked around. "So this is Perim."

"This is just Broken Edge," said Tom. "We're here on a good day."

There was an explosion and Chad immediately crouched down, reaching for where his sidearm would have been if he was in a war zone. Tom was just as startled, but chuckled after he realized what it was.

"It's okay," said Tom. "Chad, relax. It's just the outpost the OverWorlders have here. They are probably just testing some gear. If it was a battle, we would have heard a lot more than that."

Chad got up and looked around. Tom saw there was some shame in his eyes.

"What did you mean we're here on a good day?" asked Chad.

"If it's not the Creatures, it's the weather," said Tom. "Storms here can get violent."

Chad nodded in understanding.

"Come on," said Tom. He began to lead the way again.

"Where are we going?" asked Chad.

"The OverWorlder outpost," said Tom.

"Is that a good idea?" asked Chad, following Tom.

"A friend of mine is there," said Tom. "I want to introduce you. I think you'll get along fine."

"What friend?" asked Chad, a bit wary, checking the trees as they walked.

"Remember when I was telling you about Maxxor?" asked Tom.

"Yeah," said Chad. Tom gave the soldier a brilliant smile. "You're going to introduce me to Maxxor? Tom, he must be busy. He doesn't have time to concern himself with a lieutenant."

"Just come on," said Tom.

Chad followed closely behind Tom as Tom navigated his way to the OverWorld outpost. They stopped at the tree line, several Creatures speaking near a tent. One of them was Maxxor.

"You ready?" asked Tom, looking over his shoulder. He saw Chad had paled. "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down or something?"

Chad let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. He was staring at the large green Creature with the wild black hair dressed in red. "That's Maxxor?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Tom. "Remember, I showed you my card of him."

"The picture does not do him justice," Chad said almost breathlessly.

Tom gave Chad another moment to get his breath and prepare himself to meet his hero. By the time Chad nodded that he was ready, the Creatures talking to Maxxor had turned away and Maxxor was about to enter the tent.

"Hey, Maxxor!" Tom called out.

Maxxor turned to see Tom come out of the trees. The Creature smiled. "Tom, what a pleasant surprise. How did you know I was here?"

"Ask the right questions and Bodal will tell you everything you want to know," said Tom. "If you have the patience, of course."

Maxxor gave a half-hearted scowl. "He is a talkative one." Maxxor regarded the large human standing behind Tom. A smile broke out on Maxxor's face. "You must be Chad."

Chad was a little surprised. "Yes, sir," he answered.

"Tom has told me about you," said Maxxor, coming over to the soldier. "You are a brave warrior."

"Thank you, sir," said Chad.

"How are your comrades?" asked Maxxor, leading them inside the tent to sit down.

"Good, for the most part," said Chad with a slight nod. "Rooney isn't doing so well."

"What happened?" asked Tom. "He hasn't gotten worse, has he?"

"No," said Chad. He thought for a moment. "Well, depends on your definition of worse. He's out of the hospital and off the heavy pain meds, if that's what you mean. He's healing."

"That's a relief," sighed Tom. "I thought you were going to tell me he got sick."

"Then what has happened?" asked Maxxor.

Chad sighed and looked at Tom. "You know Rooney's married, right?"

"Yeah," said Tom. "Alicia, right?"

"Well, that's going south, big time," said Chad.

Tom's jaw dropped. "What? Rooney and Alicia?"

"Are getting divorced," Chad said, nodding. "It is not pretty. It started right after he got stateside. She found out about what happened, she got upset, said she didn't want a military husband if it meant this. Long story short, she's divorcing him and trying to clean him out. Even trying to take Max."

"Max?" asked Maxxor.

"They have a kid?" asked Tom.

"No, Max's Rooney's service dog," said Chad. "Sweet pooch. Rooney taught him how to fetch beer from the refrigerator."

Tom chuckled. "Sounds like Rooney." In seriousness, he looked at Chad. "He's not drinking, is he?"

"Not more than usual," said Chad. "He's staying with me for the time being. Alicia is at the apartment at all hours of the day pounding on the door. Rooney told me he was ready to shoot her. We thought it would be best if he moved in with me."

"What about Jess?" asked Tom. "What did she say to all this?"

"Oh, she is mad!" said Chad.

"At you?" asked Maxxor.

"No, no," said Chad. "At Alicia. Jess is rarely mad with me. Unless I'm doing something I'm not supposed to be doing." Chad gently touched his chest. "Thought she was going to put me back in the hospital last week when she caught me doing some yard work."

The three of them chuckled.

"I am so thankful that your cousin is not like Alicia," Chad said to Tom. "She's a real angel."

Tom smiled. "When she wants to be."

"That is very true," said Chad.

The three of them chuckled again.

Tom's scanner beeped. "It's Peyton," said Tom, looking at the screen. "Yes, Peyton?"

"Dude, where are you? You're going to miss your match if you don't get here soon," said Peyton.

"I'm on my way," said Tom. He hung up. He looked at Chad. "Do you mind if I go?"

"I'm not going to get into trouble," said Chad.

"I will look after him," Maxxor promised.

Tom smiled and 'ported out.

The two warriors sat there quietly for a moment.

"Tom's cousin is very good to you?" Maxxor asked, breaking the silence.

"Very," said Chad. "She stayed with me at the hospital, even slept on the floor. Hacked off the nurses to no end, but who's going to argue with a six foot amazon?"

There was another long pause.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," said Chad.

"That's wonderful," said Maxxor. "Congratulations."

"Don't go congratulating me," said Chad. "I haven't asked her yet."

Chad reached into his pants' pocket and pulled out a gold ring with a red stone. On each side of the ring was a crest.

"I don't have a lot of money," said Chad. "I can't give her a diamond ring. I just hope she accepts my class ring until I can afford a real engagement ring."

Maxxor placed a hand on Chad's shoulder. "If she truly loves you, she won't even ask for a ring."

Chad looked up at Maxxor. "Thanks."

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><p><strong>And that's where I'm leaving the end of this chapter. Tell me what you think. Do you think I should continue this little arc in a future chapter or just leave it the way it is? Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Just a short piece, a bit rushed, but I thought I would put this in anyway.**

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><p>Wamma was making his rounds, but he was walking slow. He didn't want to tire himself out too quickly. He turned a corner and heard a sniffle. Wamma frowned. Someone was crying. He followed the sound and found someone curled up in a ball in a small alcove. Long blonde hair fell over the hunched shoulders of someone clad in black, white, and red.<p>

"Sarah!" hissed Wamma in shock. The Mandiblor hurried over to his human friend. "Sarah, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Sarah lifted her head. Wamma's jaw dropped. He had never seen the human girl's eyes so red and puffy. Her cheeks were covered in tear stains.

Wamma stooped down the best he could and began looking for injuries.

"I'm okay," said Sarah.

"Okay? Okay?" parroted Wamma. "Sarah, I've never seen you cry before. Something is wrong."

Sarah got to her feet, wiping at her eyes.

Wamma got up as well. "What is it, Sarah? You can tell me."

Sarah took a steady breath and began to tell Wamma what was wrong. "It's my parents," she said, her voice cracking. She hated this. She hated showing any sort of weakness in front of her friends. "They're getting a divorce."

"What?" asked Wamma.

"I heard them fighting," said Sarah. "They didn't know I was home. I was up in my room and I heard them arguing. At first I thought it was nothing. They argue a lot and I've gotten used to it. But then it spiraled out of control. I heard my mom telling my dad that she hates him and wants him to get out of our lives. Then my dad told her to drop dead."

Sarah put her face in her hands and started crying again. "I've tried everything I can think of to keep them together. I don't know what to do now. Everything's just falling apart. I don't know what to do."

That last sentence was spoken so quietly and so broken that Wamma's heart ached for Sarah. He put on of his hands around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"It'll be okay, Sarah," said Wamma. "It'll be okay."

Sarah looked up at him. "How do you know?" she whispered.

"I just know," said Wamma. He gave her a small squeeze.

Sarah put her arms around Wamma's massive exoskeleton the best she could.

"Just let it out," said Wamma, smoothing her hair with another hand.

Sarah continued to bawl, her cries muffled slightly. She didn't know how, but she knew once all the tears were gone, Wamma was right; everything will be okay.


End file.
